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THE  TRAGEDY 
AND  THE  IMPERATIVE  OF 
CHRISTIAN  EDUCATION 
IN  CHINA 

HERBERT  E.  HOUSE 


THIS  SECX)ND  AND  REVISED  EDITION 
IS  PROVIDED  BY  THE  GENEROSITY  AND  IS  SENT  OUT  WITH 
THE  COMPUMENTS  OF  A FRIEND  OF  CHINA 

156  FIFTH  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK 


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THE  TRAGEDY  AND 
THE  IMPERATIVE  OF  CHRISTIAN 
EDUCATION  IN  CHINA 


The  Tragedy 


NDER  the  influence  of  the  Chinese  Emperor’s  reform 


program  of  1897-1898  which  followed  the  humiliat- 


ing defeat  by  Japan,  there  had  come  a widespread 


awakening  to  the  value  of  “Western  learning,”  and  every- 
where the  youth  from  the  best  families,  hitherto  practically 
untouched  by  Christian  missions,  were  earnestly  asking  mis- 
sionaries to  teach  them  English  and  the  “useful  learning.” 

At  a missionary  conference  at  Pei  Tai  Ho,  the  seaside 
resort  Northeast  of  Tientsin,  during  the  summer  of  1898 — 
fourteen  years  ago — this  signiflcant  question,  in  substance, 
was  discussed,  “What  shall  we  do  in  view  of  the  demand 
made  upon  us  to  teach  English  and  the  Western  education?” 
It  was  brought  out  in  this  discussion  that  at  that  time  every- 
where in  North  China,  and  the  same  was  true  elsewhere 
throughout  the  empire,  the  missionaries  were  besought  by  the 
youth  of  the  best  families,  the  class  hitherto  unreached,  to 
teach  them,  and  there  was  much  perplexity  regarding  the 
response  that  should  be  made.  Finally  a resolution  was 
passed  setting  forth  the  situation  and  stating  that  the  mis- 
sionaries were  unable  to  turn  aside  to  meet  this  new  oppor- 
tunity, but  strongly  recommending  that  teachers  be  sent  from 
home  to  do  this  work,  which  could  be  made  self-supporting. 

Being  engaged  in  this  very  work  I listened  to  the  dis- 
cussion with  deepest  interest.  My  own  assurance  that  a new 
day  had  dawned  in  China  was  confirmed  and  I at  least  fol- 
lowed the  suggestions  of  the  resolution  by  urging  a friend 


in  America  to  join  me  in  developing  the  private  school  I 
was  then  conducting.*  During  the  nearly  two  years  of  teach- 
ing which  followed,  I was  more  and  more  impressed  with 
the  reality  of  the  awakening  of  the  Chinese  of  the  cultured 
and  leading  class  to  an  appreciation  of  the  value  and  im- 
portance of  modern  education.  The  earnestness  of  the  stu- 
dents in  my  school  was  an  impressive  object  lesson,  as  was 
also,  later,  the  high  character  and  unflagging  zeal  in  his 
study,  of  my  pupil,  Tuan  Yuen  Tai,  son  of  Tuan  Shih  Kai, 
now  President.  It  became  widely  evident  that  a complete 
change  had  come  over  the  mind  of  China,  and  that  the  time 
had  now  come  when  China,  thus  far  slow  to  move  and  diffi- 
cult to  evangelize,  could  be  led  into  a Christian  civilization 
through  the  means  of  Christian  education  to  be  given  the 
vast  body  of  students  who  had  turned  their  faces  Westward. 
This  student  body  has  never  turned  back.  The  many  thou- 
sands who  went  to  Japan,  and  who  are  still  going  there  and 
to  other  countries,  is  an  expression  of  this  fact.  All  these 
fourteen  years  they  have  been  open  to  us  and  actually 
seeking  our  aid. 

The  facts  regarding  the  opportunity  presented  to  Chris- 
tian missions  through  this  educational  renaissance  although 
more  widely  known  are  no  clearer  and  no  more  emphatic 
now  than  they  were  in  1900.  Before  leaving  China  in  April, 
1900,  I said,  “I  feel  the  same  desire  to  return  home  now  to 
tell  of  the  opportunity  for  Christian  education  in  China  that 
once  I felt  in  coming  out  to  serve  in  China,”  and  reaching 
America  my  constant  theme  in  public  address  and  private 
conversation,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  was  that  the  op- 


•I  had  in  1898  in  connection  with  other  work  a private  school  in 
Tientsin,  where  I was  teaching  English  and  elementary  branches  to 
twenty-seven  young  men  and  boys.  That  year  I became  private 
tutor  in  the  family  of  Tuan  Shih  Kai,  now  president;  the  older  boys 
were  dropped  from  the  private  school  which  was  continued  for  about 
a year  under  Mrs.  House.  I remained  with  Yuan  until  the  Boxer 
trouble  in  1900.  At  that  time  I.  probably  more  than  any  other, 
was  Impressed  with  the  opportunity  to  win  China  through  the 
medium  of  Christian  education. 


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portunity  of  the  ages  was  before  the  Church  in  the  demand 
of  the  youth  of  the  higher  classes  of  China  for  English  and 
a modern  education. 

It  was  after  an  hour’s  address  which  I gave  on  this  sub- 
ject, the  11th  of  February,  1902,  before  the  Presbyterian 
Ministers’  Association  of  New  York,  that  Mr.  W.  Henry 
Grant,  Trustee  of  the  then  projected  undenominational  Can- 
ton Christian  College,  who  had  listened  to  the  address,  asked 
me  to  come  into  the  service  of  this  institution,  and  for  ten 
years  I have  been  associated  with  it  promoting  its  interests 
in  America.  Last  year  I made  a trip  to  China  for  closer  study 
of  the  Canton  ChrLstian  College  and  observation  of  the  edu- 
cational situation  in  the  country  at  large. 

For  twelve  years  I have  been  doing  what  I coidd  to 
awaken  the  Church  and  individuals  to  an  appreciation  of 
the  tremendous  importance  of  rising  to  meet  the  new  situ- 
ation ; a situation  surpassing  opportunity,  and  immeasurable 
in  its  possibilities.  For  two  years  up  till  1902  I had  the 
field  almost  to  myself  in  this  work  of  calling  attention  to 
the  educational  opportunity  in  China,  but  about  that  time 
others  began  to  voice  tbe  call,  and  by  1905  it  had  become 
the  most  widely  heralded  and  most  earnestly  emphasized  of 
missionary  facts.  Everywhere  speakers  proclaimed  that  a 
wonderful  day  of  Christian  opportunity,  such  as  the  world 
had  never  seen,  had  dawned  in  China  in  the  demand  of 
the  best  youth  of  the  land  for  English  and  a Western 
education.  Missionaries,  travelers,  commissions,  confer- 
ences, great  conventions,  all  said  the  same  thing.  The 
chorus  filled  the  land.  Everybody  talked,  but  few  did 
anything.  And  so  it  has  continued  to  this  present  hour. 

To  meet  the  new  situation,  a few  in  the  field  have  strug- 
gled with  hands  almost  bare,  a few  at  home  have  sought  to 
co-operate  .with  and  to  sustain  them,  a few  individuals  have 
given  of  their  means,  and  given  generously,  but  as  a whole 
the  Church,  although  endowed  with  every  needed  organiza- 


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tion  and  resource,  has  thus  far  revealed  a practical  incapacity 
to  meet  the  situation.  Big  schemes  have  long  been  in  the 
air  on  various  sides,  but  the  years  have  gone  by  and  almost 
nothing  has  yet  been  done  in  definite  response  to  the  pe- 
culiar opportunity  of  the  time,  almost  nothing  more  than 
would  have  been  done  in  any  case  as  a slow  growth  and 
development  of  existing  work  under  old  conditions. 

It  may  be  asserted  carefully  and  solemnly  that  American 
Christians  have  failed  utterly  to  rise  to  the  occasion  and 
that  the  failure  has  been  an  appalling  one,  humiliating  and 
disastrous. 

I do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  the  opportunity  for  Chris- 
tian education  in  China  was  as  great  twelve  years  ago,  im- 
mediately following  the  restoration  of  order  after  the 
“Boxer”  trouble,  as  it  is  to-day,  and  certainly  in  some  quar- 
ters it  w’as  greater.  There  was  then  a newness  and  in- 
tensity in  the  desire  for  the  new  learning  that  certainly  is 
not  now  surpassed  and  probably  not  equalled,  and  Chris- 
tian teachers  and  schools  would  everywhere  have  been  wel- 
comed. Twelve  years  of  perfectly  open  opportunity  for  a 
mighty  movement  have  gone  by  and  there  is  only  a beginning 
of  a response  to  it. 

Educational  work  of  importance  was  being  done  prior 
to  1900  and  it  has  been  continued  with  some  growth  since 
and  some  new  work  has  been  begun;  but  in  definite  re- 
sponse to  the  majestic  situation  offered  in  the  call  of 
China  for  our  help  in  her  educational  need  nothing  worthy 
to  be  mentioned  as  a response  has  been  done.  Had  there 
been  any  adequate  response,  any  doing  even  so  much  as  might 
easily  have  been  done,  the  Church  in  China  might  to-day 
have  been  leagues  onward  in  the  mightiest  highway  of  op- 
portunity that  the  Christian  world  has  ever  entered  instead 
of  still  standing  more  or  less  bewildered  at  the  entrance  to 
that  highway,  wondering  what  is  best  to  do  and  still  sending 
out  commissions  to  discover. 


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The  following  facts  regarding  the  Canton  Christian  Col- 
lege are  not  presented  primarily  in  its  interest.  The  facts 
are  presented  as  an  illustration  of  what  can  be  done  and 
as  inspiration  to  immediate  and  greater  action.  The  writer 
has  had  no  part  in  the  constructive  work  of  the  College  and 
therefore  writes  freely  regarding  it. 

The  Canton  Christian  College  entered  the  highway  of 
opportunity  at  the  dawn  of  China's  new  day  with  a courage- 
ous and  progressive  policy  in  keeping  with  the  demands  of 
the  time.  That  policy  was  to  give  the  Chinese  in  the  name 
of  Christ  what  they  wanted,  which  was  an  honest  Western 
education  through  the  medium  of  the  English  language  and 
also,  of  course,  to  give  an  equally  thorough  training  in 
Chinese.  Probably  no  school  in  China  has  had  a higher 
standard  in  its  Chinese  department. 

Pursuing  that  policy  unwaveringly,  though  often  mis- 
judged, this  school  has  gone  forward  even  though,  for  lack 
of  means,  with  halting  step,  until  it  has  by  the  grace  of 
simple  merit  become  an  institution  of  commanding  impor- 
tance. Since  locating  on  its  new  site  in  1904  it  has  grown 
with  a rapidity  probably  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  such 
institutions,  having  in  the  autumn  of  1912  428  students  in 
all  its  schools,  with  grounds,  buildings  and  staff  proportion- 
ate. Its  standard  has  been  so  high  and  its  work  so  thorough 
that  its  students  so  far  have  taken  practically  all  the  in- 
demnity scholarships  in  the  government  examinations  for 
the  province.  The  Christian  character  and  activity  of  its 
students,  although  nearly  all  from  leading  non-Christian 
families,  are  remarked  wherever  the  College  is  known.  It 
has  given  an  education,  a training  and  a discipline, — mental, 
physical,  spiritual, — that  has  developed  a new  type  of  young 
manhood  of  an  excellence  never  before  seen  in  South  China; 
and  young  as  the  institution  is  it  has  gained  the  hearts  of 
the  people  in  “The  Two  Provinces,”  in  America,  and  wher- 
ever the  Cantonese,  that  wonderful  people,  are  scattered  the 


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world  over.  The  recent  subscriptions  of  $80,000.00  gold  to 
the  dormitory  fund  of  the  College  by  the  Cantonese  in  China, 
America  and  elsewhere,  $60,000.00  of  which  has  already  been 
paid,  is  one  evidence  of  this  fact. 

This  liberality  and  the  very  substantial  fees  paid  by  the 
students  also  prove  the  readiness  of  the  Chinese  to  co-oper- 
ate generously  in  educational  work  which  is  of  such  char- 
acter as  to  meet  their  need,  and  command  their  respect,  a 
fact  of  the  greatest  economic  importance.  There  might  easily 
have  been  a dozen  such  institutions  well  under  way,  with  an 
established  policy  and  a strong  hold  upon  the  great  centers 
instead  of  there  being  generally  only  beginnings  with  un- 
settled policies. 

This  College  has  been  unusually  free  to  proceed  in  a 
progressive  and  uutrammeled  way.  It  has  been  unusually 
wise  in  seeking  to  meet  the  need  of  those  who  are  natural 
leaders  of  Chinese  life  and  who  are  able  by  fees  they  pay  to 
make  possible  a work  that  otherwise  would  not,  thus  far  at 
least,  have  been  at  all  possible.  It  is  because  a few  attacked 
the  educational  situation  at  Canton  with  the  right  policy, 
with  faith  and  determination,  that  the  Canton  Christian  Col- 
lege is  to-day  the  most  widely  known,  and  the  most  highly 
regarded  of  any  educational  or  other  institution  or  enter- 
prise, native  or  foreign,  in  South  China.  It  has  not  only 
become  a school ; it  has  possessed  a province,  and,  great  as 
is  the  task,  it  may  hold  it  and  actually  give  South  China  a 
Christian  civilization  if  those  who  love  the  cause  of  Christ 
will  rally  to  sustain  the  effort. 

It  would  be  nonsense  to  suggest  that  this  College  is  the 
only  powerful  Christianizing  force  in  South  China,  but  it 
is  the  only  institution  being  developed  to  train  leaders  of 
the  first  rank.  Other  agencies  may  lead  many  of  the  people 
into  the  Christian  life,  but  it  is  to  the  Christian  colleges 
we  must  look  for  the  trained  and  masterly  men  who  in  this 
day  of  rapid  transformation  shall  be  able  to  lead  China  into 


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a Christian  civilization;  men  who  like  Dr.  Sun  Yat  Sen  shall 
dominate  the  heart  and  thought  of  a nation ; men  like  W.  K. 
Chung,  graduate  and  Dean  of  the  Canton  Christian  College, 
who  while  still  retaining  his  connection  with  the  College, 
has  been  appointed  by  the  new  government  Commissioner  of 
Education  for  the  Two  Kwang  Provinces.  Professor  Chung 
may  alone  accomplish  more  for  his  people  in  the  things  we 
desire  for  them  than  any  other  present  influence. 

The  Canton  Christian  College  stands  as  an  evidence  of 
what  might  have  been  done,  readily  and  at  a moderate  cost,  all 
over  the  land  during  the  twelve  well-nigh  wasted  years  that 
have  passed  since  an  awakened  China  felt  her  need  and  wel- 
comed our  help 

The  accomplishment  of  the  Canton  Christian  College  is 
small,  however,  compared  with  what  it  might  easily  have  done 
with  a little  additional  support.  At  comparatively  slight  addi- 
tional expense  this  College  might  have  developed  five  times  its 
present  elementing  school  work,  it  might  have  advanced  much 
more  strongly  the  work  of  the  entire  institution,  and  it  might 
have  exerted  a much  greater  influence  upon  the  province. 
Take  one  item  alone.  Three  of  the  very  best  men  ever  con- 
nected with  the  institution  were  lost  to  it  for  lack  of  suit- 
able houses  for  their  small  families.  At  comparatively  small 
additional  outlay  the  College  might  now  be  doing  for  the 
neglected  daughters  of  the  gentry  what  it  is  doing  for  their 
sons  with  a consequent  greatly  increased  claim  upon  their 
interest  and  generosity.  The  entire  institution  should  be- 
fore this  time  have  been  put  on  a substantial  financial  basis. 
Instead,  it  still  exists  in  a precarious  condition  of  hand  to 
mouth  existence,  while  holding,  for  Christianity,  civilization 
and  the  world’s  welfare,  the  most,  or  one  of  the  most,  im- 
portant and  strategic  positions  in  all  the  world. 

The  task  of  securing  in  America  a vital  interest  in  the 
magnificent  opportunity  which  confronts  the  Canton  Chris- 
tian College  in  South  China  has  been  an  almost  impossible 


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one.  What  it  is  doing  in  its  field  with  limited  means  is  a 
double  proof  of  the  mighty  work  that  could  have  been 
wrought  throughout  China  if  there  had  been  even  a mod- 
erate general  response  to  the  urgent  plea  of  the  last  twelve 
years.  One  who  has  been  in  the  presence  of  the  unspeakable 
privilege  offered  by  China’s  transformed  desire  and  has  seen 
the  distressing  and  disastrous  loss  in  Canton  and  in  other 
great  centers  of  opportunity,  need  not  fear  extravagance 
of  speech  when  he  says  that  the  loss  through  this  lack  of 
response  to  the  call  which  has  for  years  been  ringing  in 
the  ears  of  those  who  profess  allegiance  to  Christ  is  in  truth 
a Tragedy. 

Consider  Nanking  and  the  Christian  University.  By  a 
recent  vmion  of  all  the  educational  work  that  has  been 
growing  for  a generation  under  several  denominations  in 
that  important  center,  it  was  possible  to  show  in  June,  1912, 
all  told  a value  of  about  $125,000.00  in  property,  $45,000.00 
in  endowment  and  $45,000.00  in  recent  subscriptions.*  Con- 
sider this,  as  the  permanent  investment  of  Christianity,  dur 
ing  the  work  of  a generation  in  that  which  is  key  to  the 
whole  missionary  situation,  Christian  education,  at  the  nat- 
ural center  for  a hundred  million  of  as  capable  people  as 
any  in  the  world.  Consider  this,  as  the  answer  of  Christen- 
dom to  the  vast  body  of  students,  the  natural  leaders  of  this 
people  as  they  have  for  the  last  twelve  years  been  standing 
before  us  with  open  minds  and  hearts  actually  asking  for 
our  help.  Consider  this  as  the  measure  of  the  response  of 
the  Church  as  it  has  stood  for  these  twelve  crucial  years 
before  a field  so  vast  and  so  white  to  the  harvest  that  what 
our  Lord  looked  out  upon  was  petty  in  size  and  green  in 
the  husk  in  comparison. 


•By  the  action  of  the  seven  leading  denominations  which  make 
up  the  Nanking  union,  under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  J.  E.  Williams, 
there  has  been  a substantial  start  made  during  the  six  months  since 
June,  1912,  toward  establishing  the  University  on  a substantial  basis. 
This  is  a hopeful  sign. 


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Lift  up  your  eyes,  and  look  on  the  fields;  for  they  are 
white  already  to  the  harvest.  And  (lest  we  forget)  he 
that  reapeth  receiveth  wages,  and  gathereth  fruit  unto 
life  eternal. 

Had  we  done  our  simple,  obvious  and  easy  duty  we  might 
to-day,  as  was  perfectly  evident  years  ago,  be  providing  the 
Christian  teachers  for  the  new  government  schools,  and  the 
leaders  in  all  lines  of  official  and  professional  life,  not  ex- 
cepting an  efficient  ministry.  With  every  needed  resource 
at  hand  we  still  stand  helpless,  taking  years  to  consider,  when 
we  might  start,  almost  in  a day,  and  bring  quickly  to  a 
vast  success  a movement  that  even  now  before  it  is  too  late 
would  lay  hold  of  the  best  youth  in  all  parts  of  the  land, 
would  win  many,  many  of  them  to  Christ  and  would  pre- 
pare them  to  lead  their  own  people  into  the  light  and  strength 
of  a new  life. 

Not  only  has  the  Church  at  home  failed  to  appreciate 
the  opportunity,  and  not  only  has  support  been  lacking,  but 
the  existing  agencies  and  schools  have  with  few  exceptions 
been  equally  slow  to  adopt  a policy  either  in  keeping  with 
the  demands  of  the  time  on  the  field,  or  inspiring  to  the 
Church  at  home. 

Take  an  example  of  the  loss  sustained  on  this  account 
Ten  years  ago  the  missionaries  of  an  ancient  and  important 
city  were  besought  by  the  gentry  to  open  a school  for  their 
sons  to  teach  them  English  and  the  Western  education,  but 
those  who  were  so  invited  felt  no  call  to  give  this  cup  of 
cold  water  to  satisfy  the  mental  and  heart  thirst  of  a peo- 
ple, for,  it  was  said,  they  only  desired  it  for  selfish  reasons. 
There  was  no  faith  in  the  power  of  the  Gospel  to  trans- 
form these  coming  leaders  and  the  call  was  unheeded.  One 
young  man  who  saw  the  vision  and  wished  to  enter  work  for 
the  gentry  was  looked  upon  as  a traitor  to  his  mission  and 
was  refused  permission.  What  is  the  result?  There  is  near 
that  city  indeed  an  excellent  missionary  institution  where 


9 


some  advance  steps  have  recently  been  taken.  Gathered 
largely  from  the  missions  of  the  district  this  College  has  a 
fine  company  of  students,  but  they  might  not  simply  have 
built  a school,  they  might  have  moved  a province.  The  peo- 
ple of  this  city  having  been  neglected,  the  gentry  have 
largely  lost  faith  and  interest  in  the  foreign  schools  and  have 
developed  fairly  satisfactory,  though  non- Christian,  schools 
of  their  own.  So  it  is  to  a greater  or  less  extent  throughout 
most  of  the  country.  The  finest  period  of  our  opportunity 
has  been  neglected  and  has  slipped  away.  By  a right  policy, 
an  immediate  and  mighty  effort,  we  may  yet  win  favor  and 
a position  of  strong  influence,  we  may  yet  win  the  ground 
and  do  the  work  to  which  w^e  were  called,  but  all  over  the 
land  twelve  years  of  supreme  opportunity  have  passed  and 
passed  forever. 

The  loss,  almost  unheeded,  entirely  unnecessary,  the 
incalculable  loss,  of  the  unspeakable  opportunity  of  these 
twelve  years  in  which  the  leaders  and  even  the  masses  of 
China’s  millions  might  have  had  their  faces  turned  toward 
Christ;  the  loss  to  the  people  of  China,  to  the  world,  and 
to  the  Kingdom  of  God;  this  loss,  is  an  immeasurable,  a 
bitter  and  a heart-breaking  TRAGEDY. 


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The  Crisis 

Every  one  who  is  familiar  with  the  situation  in  China 
understands  that  owing  to  the  rapidly  changing  con- 
' ditions,  the  peculiar  opportunity  which  was  so  fully 
ushered  in  twelve  years  ago,  is  now  passing  speedily  and 
forever.  It  is  NOW  or  NEVER ; and  the  thing  to  do  in  this 
Crisis  is  so  simple  and  so  obvious  that  even  the  most  ordinary 
man  can  understand  it. 

The  fact  of  first  importance  in  any  present  discussion  of 
missionary  problems  in  China,  must  be  this  rapidity  with 
w'hich  the  opportunity  to  grip  the  situation  is  passing.  Un- 
less we  enter  the  open  gates  at  once  with  some  policy  that 
assures  immediate  and  vast  results,  soon  we  will  need  to  lay 
siege  against  walls  of  self-sufficiency  and  false  beliefs  that 
we  can  never  hope  by  any  means  widely  to  overcome.  To 
delay  now  even  three  or  five  years  in  the  strong  inaugura- 
tion of  a new  crusade  will  be  fatal  to  our  greatest  success. 

A policy  that  would  now  as  an  emergency  measure  send 
out  a large  number  of  men  and  women  for  evangelistic  mis- 
sionary work,  indispensable  as  such  missionaries  may  be, 
simply  will  not  meet  the  case.  It  would  be  five  years  before 
the  best  of  the  first  of  these  could  know  the  language  well 
enough  to  begin  to  be  really  effective  workers.  It  would  be 
much  longer  still  before  those  who  have  not  dropped  out  by 
the  way  would  have  become  an  effective  body  of  mission- 
aries, and  then  upon  their  few  shoulders  would  rest  the 
burden  of  evangelizing  the  vast  communities  in  which  they 
would  be  placed.  In  the  words  of  Jethro,  “This  thing  is  too 
heavy  for  thee  * * * Thou  shalt  teach  them  * * * the  work 
they  must  do  * * * then  thou  shalt  be  able  to  endure  and 
all  this  people  shall  go  to  their  place  in  peace.”  (Ex.  18:18, 
etc.) 

The  demand  of  the  times,  which  is  the  demand  of  a crisis 


11 


in  the  history  of  a fourth  of  the  race  and  perhaps  of  the 
world,  is  emphatically  that  we  work  on  a policy  that  prom- 
ises quick  results  and  that  promises  through  a highly  edu- 
cated leadership  to  multiply  our  own  lives  many  fold. 

The  key  to  the  whole  situation  must  be  an  educational 
policy  which  will  make  it  possible,  if  it  is  possible,  to 
immediately  lay  hold  of  thousands  and  very  soon  of  al- 
most tens  of  thousands  of  the  boys  and  girls  of  grammar 
school  age,  who  must  be  from  the  most  cultured  and  pros- 
perous homes  in  the  land,  from  among  those  who  are  able 
and  glad  to  pay,  at  least  to  a large  extent,  for  what  they  get 
as  well  as  from  among  the  poorer  classes  among  whom  most 
of  our  educational  work  is  now  done. 

It  is  impossible  to  do  this  through  the  medium  of  the 
Chinese  language.  If  that  is  our  only  hope  then  our  cause 
is  already  lost,  the  crisis  cannot  be  met.  If  the  teachers  to 
be  sent  out  must  wait  till  they  know  Chinese  well  enough 
to  teach  in  that  language  and  must  give  their  students  an 
education  worthy  of  the  name  in  that  language,  then  the  day 
of  opportunity  will  long  have  passed  as  for  twelve  years  it 
has  been  passing,  before  even  a start  is  made. 

But  there  is  a method  whereby  the  task  that  is  set  be- 
fore us  can  be  done.  It  has  already  been  proven  in  actual 
experiment  on  a substantial  scale  under  varying  circum- 
stances and  in  different  places  in  China,  and  also  in  differ- 
ent lands,  especially  in  Japan,  that  in  the  English  language 
we  have  an  instrument  ready  and  fit  whereby  swiftly,  surely 
and  almost  easily  we  may  lay  hold  of  China’s  youth,  meet 
the  crisis  and  save  the  day  for  a Christian  leadership,  a 
Christian  civilization,  and  a Christian  people  in  the  land  of 
the  mightiest  oncoming  host  the  world  has  ever  had  to  reckon 
with. 


12 


The  Imperative 

There  are  sound  reasons  on  general  principles  for 
the  use  of  English  in  all  our  teaching  of  Western 
subjects;  for  one  thing,  the  Chinese  want  it  and 
are  not  much  interested  in  any  education  we  foreigners  have 
to  give  that  does  not  put  it  first,  and  educate  through  it  as 
a medium. 

Another  prime  reason  for  giving  an  education  in  English 
is  that  our  business  as  educators  is,  and  as  missionaries, 
ought  to  be,  not  to  do  the  great  things  that  are  waiting  to 
be  done  in  China,  but  to  train  the  leaders  who  will  them- 
selves develop  their  own  educational  system  and  to  some 
extent  their  language,  who  will  evangelize  their  own  people 
and  who  will  work  out  their  own  problems  of  all  kinds  as 
no  foreigners  can  ever  do.  Let  no  one  suppose  that  the 
Chinese  are  lacking  in  the  qualities  required  for  eminent 
service  in  these  fields,  if  properly  trained.  Our  business  is  to 
train  leaders  of  the  first  rank  who  will  themselves  go  out  and 
lay  hold  of  the  people  and  the  resources  of  their  country  and 
make  a new  and  worthy  China.  It  is  simply  impossible  to  now 
give  through  the  medium  of  Chinese  the  education  required 
to  develop  such  leadership;  there  are  neither  the  teachers, 
books  nor  words  that  would  be  required.  Also  the  English 
language  at  the  present  time  has  itself  a powerful  influence 
on  the  student.  It  is  like  foreign  travel,  it  opens  to  him 
new  worlds,  it  is  like  a great  classic  rich  with  new  ideas. 
As  one  qualified  to  speak,  wrote  regarding  the  Canton  Chris- 
tian College:  “Through  English  it  is  possible  for  you  to 
give  the  most  thorough  development  of  mind  and  heart, 
sending  out  a unique  band  of  young  men  destined  to  change 
the  current  of  history  in  South  China  instead  of  merely 
giving  a creditable  course  of  instruction  and  exercising  only 
a limited  portion  of  the  possible  influence  upon  the  prov- 


13 


ince,  * * *”  “It  takes  time  and  hard  labor  on  the  part 
of  teacher  and  student  to  make  a man  of  the  modern  type 
out  of  a crude  Chinese  boy,  and  English  is  the  best  medium 
through  -which  to  effect  the  transformation.  The  very  lan- 
guage itself  alters  the  mind  of  the  person  who  learns  it.” 

Or  there  may  be  quoted  the  words  of  another  who  in 
speaking  of  the  extreme  difficulty  of  putting  into  Chinese 
language  a correct  and  inspiring  expression  of  Western 
thought  with  its  higher  spiritual  meaning,  says,  “The  Eng- 
lish language  has  developed  with  the  mind  and  spirit  of 
Christianity,  it  has  its  very  being  in  them.  Christian  civili- 
zation is  the  very  breath  of  life  within  our  English  speech, 
and  cannot  be  put  into  another  language  except  in  some 
fashion  of  slow  growth.  Introducing  the  Chinese  child  to 
the  English  language  is  opening  to  it  not  only  the  wide 
fields  of  English  Christian  literature  and  Western  civiliza- 
tion but  the  very  spirit  of  Christian  life.” 

It  will  stand  the  test  of  every  criticism  that,  on  general 
principles,  the  educational  work  which  we  foreigners  do  in 
China,  in  this  generation  at  least,  must  be  done  through  the 
English  language  to  be  powerful  and  effective  in  developing 
men  and  women  of  strong  character  who  shall  rank  with  the 
best  of  their  foreign  associates  and  who  shall  be  thoroughly 
fit  leaders  of  their  people.  But  even  that  is  not  now  the 
point,  the  vital  consideration  now  is  that  only  through  Eng- 
lish is  it  possible  to  do  quickly,  before  it  is  forever  too  late 
the  thing  we  must  do  if  we  are  to  lead  China  into  a Christian 
civilization  or  if  Christianity  is  to  hold  a place  of  high  im- 
portance in  the  land.  If  there  is  any  other  way  it  has  not 
yet  been  revealed.  It  is  not  the  love  of  English  nor  the  de- 
sire to  propagate  it  that  is  back  of  the  demand  for  its  use. 
As  gladly  would  Sanskrit  be  used  if  by  it  the  task  could  be 
done. 

It  is  perfectly  evident  that  the  permanence  and  power 
of  all  our  mission  work,  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 


14 


soeiation  or  the  Young  Women’s  Christian  Association,  or 
Christian  enterprise  of  any  sort  in  China  depends  upon  the 
thoroughly  trained  Christian  leaders  who  shall  have  been 
educated  in  large  numbers  in  the  Christian  colleges  within 
the  bounds  of  the  country  itself.  If  we  fail  in  this  we  fail 
in  everjdhing  and  we  shall  fail  in  this  educational  effort  in 
most  parts  of  the  eighteen  provinces  unless  there  is  an  imme- 
diate advance  incomparably  more  rapid  and  more  wise  than 
during  the  past  twelve  years.  Such  an  immediate  advance 
can  be  made  only  by  throwing  into  the  field  at  once  com- 
panies, almost  regiments,  of  young  men  and  young  women 
having  the  missionary  spirit  who  have  had  some  training  as 
teachers.  Under  the  direction  of  the  present  organized  forces 
on  the  field  these  should  be  a far-fiung  battle  line  entering, 
without  a day’s  delay  for  language  preparation,  into  the 
mighty  campaign  of  elementary  education  to  be  conducted 
in  the  English  language.  Do  this,  and  within  two  or  three 
years  thousands  of  boys  and  girls  will  be  prepared  for  the 
best  that  American  teachers  can  give  them,  teachers  who 
even  in  the  higher  grades  will  not  be  delayed  a single  day 
after  arrival  on  account  of  language. 

This  is  The  Imperative.  This  is  The  demand  of  the  hour. 
Such  a policy  will  mean  victory,  any  other  policy  means 
delay,  defeat  and  ultimate  rout;  and  by  this  course  of  action 
there  will  be  real  preparation  made  for  the  projected  and 
much  talked  of  universities,  for  which  there  are  few  students 
either  now  or  in  prospect. 

There  is  in  a certain  important  city  in  China  a school  of 
about  two  hundred  students  conducted  by  one  of  the  lead- 
ing missionary  agencies.  This  school  is  in  a position  of  large 
and  important  possibilities  and  might  be  an  inspiring  success, 
but  it  is  quite  undermanned  and  hesitating  in  its  policy. 
What  would  one  expect  the  authorities  of  such  a school  to 
do  in  this  wonderful  time?  The  only  thing  to  do  would  be 
to  adopt  a progressive  policy,  get  into  line  with  the  whole 


15 


modern  progressive  movement  in  China,  send  out  a half  dozen 
select  young  men,  and  get  to  work  at  once  on  the  students 
they  have  and  as  many  more  boys  in  the  lower  grades  as  they 
could  care  for.  Within  two  and  three  years  this  school  could 
have  a hundred,  and  then  two  or  three  hundred,  boys  well 
grounded  in  English,  weU  on  in  the  grammar  school  work 
and  ready  to  go  forward  in  English  for  their  higher  school 
work  just  about  as  readily  as  American  boys  of  the  same  age, 
under  their  American  teachers  who  would  not  need  to  know 
anything  of  the  Chinese  language. 

What  actually  has  been  done  has  been  to  send  out  one 
married  man  to  teach  science.  As  this  school  has  only  recently 
introduced  English  and  only  as  a branch,  this  doubly  ex- 
pensive man  must  spend  years  in  Chinese  language  study 
before  he  can  teach  anything  at  all,  or  he  must  do  the  very 
thing  here  advocated,  teach  English,  but  only  as  an  educa- 
tional subject,  not  as  a policy  of  conquest.  And  so  it  goes 
This  school  is  not  a particularly  exceptional  example.  It  is 
still  undermanned,  its  policy  indefinite  and  its  results  dis- 
appointing. At  such  a rate  we  will  never,  never,  never  do 
amdliing  adequate  in  China. 

Few  realize  the  ease  with  which  well  taught  Chinese 
youths  learn  English,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  the  constant 
and  great  difficulty  that  the  Chinese  have  with  their  own 
written  language.  A senior  Chinese  student  in  this  country 
who  speaks  English  fluently  and  is  well  trained  in  Chinese, 
said  to  me  recently  that  he  could  learn  more  English  in  two 
years  than  Chinese  in  five,  that  it  was  easier  for  a Chinese 
student  to  learn  English  and  to  go  on  with  his  higher  educa- 
tion in  English  than  it  would  be  to  learn  the  additional 
Chinese  that  would  be  required  to  go  on  with  even  such 
higher  education  as  is  possible  in  Chinese.  Two  years  of 
English  puts  the  average  student  where  he  is  able  to  go  on 
with  his  work  in  English  without  serious  difficulty. 

It  should  not  be  supposed  that  we  must  wait  till  these 


16 


students  are  graduates  and  in  positions  of  influence  before 
we  can  capture  the  heart  and  mind  of  the  people,  before 
our  work  is  effective  in  winning  us  a place  of  influence  and 
power  in  the  community.  The  very  gathering  of  these  chil- 
dren into  schools,  of  the  type  mentioned,  giving  them,  and 
giving  them  well,  the  English  they  want  and  the  kind  of 
education  they  want  will  give  us  almost  at  once  the  fellow- 
ship in  the  community  and  the  hold  on  the  people  which 
we  covet,  will  put  and  keep  us  in  the  vanguard  of  the  new 
education,  and  will  enable  us  to  help  the  Chinese  as  they 
struggle  with  their  problems.  The  confldence,  friendship  and 
co-operation  of  the  people  are  what  we  want  and  this  is  our 
quick  and  easy  and  certain  way  to  possess  them. 

If  you  purpose  to  do  anything  for  the  Kingdom  of  God 
in  China — Do  It  Now — Not  waiting  for  others. 


17 


Notes 

Stated  briefly,  the  vital  and  timely  elements  of  a win- 
ning educational  policy  in  China  must  be  emphasis  on  Ele- 
mentary Education,  'Western  education  to  be  given  in  Eng- 
lish and  a determined  effort  made  to  win  the  well-to-do  and 
cultured  classes,  especially  by  an  educational  program  that 
will  command  their  enthusiastic  interest  and  support. 

Timidity  and  hesitancy  regarding  the  course  advocated 
has  been  because  of  the  supposition  that  from  the  sons  of 
the  gentry  we  could  gain  few  or  no  converts  and  the  fear  that 
by  an  education  that  opened  the  avenues  of  the  world  to 
young  men  from  Christian  families  we  could  gain  few,  if 
any,  Christian  workers  or  teachers  or  ministers.  Where  is 
our  faith  in  the  Gospel,  in  the  power  of  God  and  in  our  own 
enduement  for  our  work? 

"What  are  the  results  in  the  Canton  Christian  College 
which  has  been  conducted  on  the  policy  here  commended? 
Take  for  example  the  Dean,  Prof.  "W.  K.  Chung,  a man  from 
the  first  rank  of  the  gentrj’.  A graduate  of  this  College,  a 
benediction  to  the  school,  an  apostle  to  his  people,  one  of  the 
most  potent  Christian  personalities  in  South  China  to-day; 
not  a minister,  but  a layman,  yet  a bold  preacher  of  the 
Gospel. 

Look  at  its  students  who  are  attending  colleges  in  Amer- 
ica, many  of  the  forty  being  earnest  Christian  workers.  I 
have  been  closely  associated  with  one,  in  college  in  the  "West, 
of  well-to-do  but  non-Christian  family,  who  has  every  Sunday 
been  teaching  or  preaching  to  his  people;  a devoted  and 
faithful  worker  hardly  knowing  whether  to  become  a preacher 
or  an  agriculturist,  so  great  is  his  people’s  need  of  his  help  in 
both  directions.  Such  a man  wherever  he  is  will  be  a power. 
The  other,  who  comes  from  a Christian  family  and  has  re- 
ceived aid,  is  in  college  in  New  York  preparing  to  be  a 


18 


teacher,  yet  he  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  effective  preachers 
and  Bible  teachers  among  the  Chinese  in  the  city. 

Look  at  the  twenty  or  more  young  men,  mostly  from 
well-to-do  and  non-Christian  families,  that  go  every  Sunday 
from  the  College  which  is  as  yet  but  little  more  than  a high 
school,  preaching  and  teaching  the  Gospel  in  the  villages 
round  about  and  planning  how  they  may  evangelize  the 
neighboring  villages,  with  their  tens  of  thousands  of  people, 
wherein  there  seems  to  have  been  no  mission  work  whatever 
done.  Look  at  the  hundred  students  in  volunteer  Bible 
classes,  or  consider  the  quiet  effective  personal  work  of  the 
Christian  students  for  their  fellows,  or  their  work  of  love 
for  the  children  which  has  alone  established  the  kindergar- 
ten and  primary  school  and  has  made  it  the  pride  of  the 
place.  These  are  some  of  the  many  manifestations  of  an 
earnest  Christian  spirit  which  fills  the  school  and  makes  it  a 
place  of  gracious  power.  And  remember  that  these  students 
are  nearly  all  from  non-Christian,  well-to-do  families  of  cul- 
ture and  pride. 

Afraid  we  cannot  make  preachers?  We  can  make  almost 
anything  we  will  of  our  students,  and  our  most  effective 
influence  is  in  the  close  contact  we  are  able  to  have  with 
them  through  the  common  tongue,  English. 

The  fact  is  that  while  the  results  of  teaching  English 
in  the  past  were  often  unsatisfactory,  the  reason  was  that 
the  general  education  given  was  not  such  as  to  fit  the  stu- 
dent for  any  position  of  leadership  or  importance,  it  was 
not  sufficient  to  give  him  the  standing  of  a cultured,  edu- 
cated, efficient  man.  His  education  was  most  meager,  his 
occiipation  could  only  be  that  of  a helper  or  subordinate. 
Giving  such  a student  English,  at  a time  when  few  Chinese 
were  able  to  speak  English,  paved  the  way  to  a good  salary 
in  commercial  life  and  the  temptation  was  at  times  too  great 
to  be  resisted.  No  such  difficulty  arises  where  the  educa- 
tional work  is  thorough  and  advanced  and  where  a high  in- 


19 


centive  is  furnished  by  wide-awake  Christian  teachers.  Eng- 
lish does  not  become  in  such  a case  a snare,  but  a help  of  the 
first  degree. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  at  present  no  teacher  on  the 
staff  of  the  Canton  Christian  College  has  had  a theological 
training.  The  success  of  the  College  has  been  gained  solely 
by  a competent  staff  of  American  Christian  men  having  asso- 
ciated with  them  efficient  Chinese  teachers  who  are  being  de- 
veloped in  increasing  numbers  from  among  its  own  students. 

The  staff  is  made  up  of  men  who  love  their  work,  who 
are  deeply  interested  in  their  students,  and  who  when  they 
teach  the  Bible,  teach  its  great  truths  simply  and  earnestly, 
and  prayerfully  seek  the  salvation  of  their  students,  winning 
them  to  a Christian  life  and  service.  Here  is  a field  of  ser\dce 
second  to  none,  now  open  to  the  Christian  teacher. 

Most  American  teachers  should  study  the  Chinese  lan- 
guage and  every  school  of  importance  should  have  members 
of  its  staff  who  are  specializing  in  it,  but  valuable  as  a com- 
mand of  the  Chinese  spoken  language  is  its  acquirement  is 
not  necessar}"  to  success,  and  has  no  bearing  upon  the  cam- 
paign which  must  be  immediately  waged  if  victory  is  to  be 
won. 

Education  for  women  must  keep  step  with  education  for 
men.  Both  may  be  conducted  with  economic  and  other  ad- 
vantage under  the  same  administration,  and  both  will  be 
equally  appreciated  and  supported  by  the  Chinese. 

It  is  taken  for  granted  in  this  paper  as  being  understood 
that  a thorough  training  in  Chinese  is  essential  for  every 
Chinese  scholar.  Chinese  teachers  are  available  for  this  work. 


THE  WILLETT  PBSSS,  NEW  YORK 


T 


V 


4 


